"This is simply lip-service from a Labour party who have no intention of actually delivering."

Labour said that it would summon a constitutional convention early in the next parliament to consider how an elected senate would be established - including whether it could have specific regional representation functions.

Each region of England, as well as the devolved administrations of Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, would hold meetings before the convention where people would be asked for views on the functions of the new body, as well as the most appropriate form of election.

In a speech to activists in Blackpool, Miliband will say: "It cannot be right that the North West has almost the same population as London but only a small fraction of London's number of peers.

"London is our capital and one of the world's great cities but it cannot be right London has more members of the House of Lords than the East Midlands, West Midlands, Wales, Northern Ireland, the North East and Yorkshire and Humber added together.

"And it cannot be right that those peers who do live outside London are less likely to be from great cities like Birmingham, Liverpool and Bristol than they are to be living in less-populated rural areas.

"We will make the second chamber of Parliament truly a senate of the regions and nations of our whole country."